Lost Briggs Cunningham Corvette Now Subject Of Ownership Dispute

Last week we brought you the incredible story of a historically significant racing Corvette, believed lost to history but then found in storage in St. Petersburg, Florida. As one of three Corvettes campaigned by Briggs Cunningham at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car has a potential value in excess of $1 million.

That seemed just a bit strange to us, but now we know the reason why: Autoweek says that a Florida man is claiming ownership of the car, which he insists was purchased by his father in the mid-1970s. Dan Mathis Jr., the alleged owner, even produced a digital image of a Florida title, but with an oddly-current date of August 17, 2012.

Mathis’ trip to Carlisle to take possession of the car was the reason for its sudden disappearance. While he claims the car was stolen from his family’s possession, the lack of supporting documentation (such as police reports) puts some doubt into his story.

For now, anyway, the car has changed hands from Rick Carr, who found it in a warehouse owned by his late father, to Corvette collector Lance Miller, who in turn sold it to an unnamed buyer who wishes to remain anonymous. That’s suspicious in itself, but given the potential value of the car we wouldn’t want to broadcast ownership, either.

We suppose the battle will go to the courts, with each side proclaiming its rightful ownership of the Corvette. Whatever the outcome, we just hope the car in question isn’t again lost in the shuffle.